Despite the dizzying heights of May’s remarkable array of releases, June proved to be no slouch in terms of quality records hitting the racks. From true legends to acts you may well have never heard of before, there’s much to explore in this month’s pile. Freshly Pressed: News of a new Bat For Lashes release may not provoke quite the fanfare it did in the past, but Natasha Khan’s meditation on motherhood, ‘The Dream Of Delphi’, is an intriguing prospect.
The record is a mix of ambient passages and more conventional song structures, with a pastoral chamber feel to some of the piano expanses. The Kate Bush comparisons are arguably unavoidable on moments like the soaring falsetto of ‘Delphi Dancing’ and side two opener ‘Home’ is an immediately compelling account of initial time apart from a child. While many tracks have aspects of Khan’s voice present, few are fully-fledged songs.
As a musical cycle it’s often very affecting, so it’s worth knowing what to expect before starting to listen as the conclusion of ‘Waking Up’ is worth the journey. Several coloured variants are available, but your correspondent sampled the fairly quiet standard black Pallas pressing. The mastering from Guy Davie is majestic and the Daniel Krieger cut delivers a substantial, dynamic soundstage that occupies the space in the room with ease.
— — Having been a founding member of Suede, a superb producer and tremendous collaborator, Bernard Butler has returned to his very o.